AEM Launches Podcast to Explore Disruptive Industry Topics

February 12, 2018

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Expanding on the scope of its efforts to keep members apprised of potentially disruptive trends in the construction and agriculture equipment industry, AEM is launching a podcast that will explore a different cutting-edge topic every month.

The AEM Thinking Forward Podcast is now available for listeners and subscribers on many of the most popular podcasting apps, including iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn and others. Episodes will also be posted on the AEM Website at aem.org/think, and links to new episodes will be included in the Industry Advisor e-newsletter.

“Podcasts are increasingly an important part of the way many people get their information,” says Nicole Hallada, AEM’s vice president of marketing and communications. “Our Thinking Forward initiative is in its second year of equipping AEM members to succeed in a changing marketplace, so it just makes sense to build on that success by pushing into this new medium.”

The podcast is launching with three episodes that are available now, and new editions will be available on a monthly basis. Topics of emphasis will include 3D printing, automation, precision agriculture, Internet of Things, big data analysis, drones, future technology and other disruptive forces in the equipment manufacturing sphere.

The first episode features an interview with Dr. Lonnie Love from the Oak Ridge National Lab, who led the effort to build the world's first additive manufactured excavator, Project AME. Lonnie discusses about how the new 3D printing technology they develop is changing business models throughout the manufacturing sector.

Episode 2 focuses on several potentially disruptive trends that are poised to make an impact on the heavy equipment manufacturing industry—drones, automation, predictive maintenance and the service-oriented business model. SkySpecs CEO Danny Ellis explains how his company is taking advantage of all those trends and using automated drones to inspect infrastructure.

And, with the growing suite of precision agriculture tools available on the market, Episode 3 features AGCO's Eric Lescourret discussing how equipment manufacturers can tailor these solutions to their customers' needs, and the mandate that the country faces to provide the broadband infrastructure needed to compete. AEM's Curt Blades also discusses how AEM is engaging its members on the topic.

AEM Strategic Communications Manager Dusty Weis will serve as the host and producer of the podcast, tapping into the expertise of guests who are technology pioneers, industry heavyweights and established experts. Guests in the first three episodes of the podcast include Dr. Lonnie Love of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, drone automation pioneer Danny Ellis, and AGCO Corporation's precision agriculture advocate Eric Lescourret.

“Podcasts are a great way for busy professionals to catch up on industry news that they need to stay competitive,” Weis says. “I’m really excited for the opportunity to take these cool subjects that we present at our regional Thinking Forward summits and on our website, and package them in a format that you can absorb while you’re in the car, out for a run or on the jobsite.”